The present invention relates to multilayer bottles, and more particularly, to a multilayer bottle with an encapsulated dark layer to limit passage of light rays therethrough.
Because of their numerous advantages, bottles molded from polyethylene and other synthetic resins have provided a suitable alternative to glass bottles for many applications. As is known, the shelf life of some food and pharmaceutical products is degraded by light. As a result, both glass and synthetic resin bottles have utilized colorants to reduce transmission of light therethrough. Some synthetic resin bottles have included various additives to absorb UV radiation. However, a very dark bottle which effectively precludes light transmission provides an undesirable aesthetic appearance, thereby adversely affecting its potential marketing appeal.
In addition, there has been a great incentive to recycle synthetic resins, including those that have been previously pigmented. Because the recycled material may have a variety of colors, it is difficult to employ it in new bottles unless there is sufficient quantity of the desired color to justify its segregation. As a result of this limitation, recycled resins of different colors are sometimes formed into a "muddy" colored mass which is then more heavily pigmented to provide a uniform coloration.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel multilayer bottle which substantially precludes light transmission therethrough, thereby protecting its contents from photodegradation.
It is also an object to provide such a multilayer bottle with a desirable aesthetic appearance.
Another object is to provide such a multilayer bottle which may incorporate recycled synthetic resins containing various colorants without detracting from its overall appearance.
A further object is to provide a method for making such a multilayer bottle readily and economically.